Surah Al-Baqarah
۞ يَسْـَٔلُونَكَ عَنِ ٱلْأَهِلَّةِ ۖ قُلْ هِىَ مَوَٰقِيتُ لِلنَّاسِ وَٱلْحَجِّ ۗ وَلَيْسَ ٱلْبِرُّ بِأَن تَأْتُوا۟ ٱلْبُيُوتَ مِن ظُهُورِهَا وَلَـٰكِنَّ ٱلْبِرَّ مَنِ ٱتَّقَىٰ ۗ وَأْتُوا۟ ٱلْبُيُوتَ مِنْ أَبْوَٰبِهَا ۚ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ
Yas'alūnaka ‘anil-ahillah(ti), qul hiya mawāqītu lin-nāsi wal-ḥajj(i), wa laisal-birru bi'an ta'tul-buyūta min ẓuhūrihā wa lākinnal-birra manittaqā, wa'tul-buyūta min abwābihā, wattaqullāha la‘allakum tufliḥūn(a).
They ask you, [O Muhammad], about the new moons. Say, "They are measurements of time for the people and for Hajj." And it is not righteousness to enter houses from the back, but righteousness is [in] one who fears Allah. And enter houses from their doors. And fear Allah that you may succeed.
📝 Footnotes
52) The crescent moon is convincing proof of the changing of the months. After the crescent moon at the end of the month appears thin like an old date-palm stalk (surah Yāsīn/36: 39) approaching morning, on the following night the moon "dies" (becomes completely invisible), which is then followed by the appearance of a thin crescent moon shortly after Maghrib. That marks the beginning of the month used to calculate the timings of worship, such as the Ramadan fast and Hajj.